Celebrating – word of the week

I’ve been doing it all wrong. In all fairness, it’s more a question of letting things slip, somewhere between waving the children off for their last day of primary school and this week. That’s a good number of years. To put it simply, I’ve stopped celebrating all the chances that life throws my way. Especially the small ones. Obviously, we celebrate the days that are already printed on the wall calendars, but what else do I let go by with just a sigh of relief that it’s out of the way?

Birthday

This week has been all about celebrating. We’ve had a birthday. Admittedly we always make a huge fuss for birthdays. Eldest teen will have to be renamed next year, as she entered her last year of being a teen, this week. Nineteen!

I took them all to the local Lavender farm and dragged them round the fields. It was drizzly, but not enough to cancel the walk. I bought lavender ice cream for everyone and a couple more lavender plants for myself, as a “Well done you for completing 19 years of parenting“. It’s a tradition now.

In the evening, we went out to Wells to an Italian restaurant. First time eating out since her last birthday, I think. So different from our last restaurant visit when we were surrounded by walls of plastic sheeting, which only the lack of the water and a goldfish, and maybe plastic castle, stopped it from being a full on aquarium experience.

GSCE results

We are celebrating Middle Teen’s exam results too, this week. She worked so hard and we’re so pleased that her hard work has paid off and she can see the effort was worth it. She’s ready to start her A’ levels in September and has already tentatively chosen her university and subject. There is no stopping her now.

I discretely thumbed my nose at a couple of teachers who tried to label her as not good at a particular subject and make her feel bad. This week, she got an 8 in the subject, (an “A” in the old system. Grades are 1 to 9 now, where 9 is the highest and 4 is a pass), so proof that the games not over until it’s over.

I’m glad I had her back and thankful for good teachers in the meantime.

Double good news, this week, as Youngest Teen is going to take triple sciences at GCSE, instead of double. It’s an invite only course for students at his school. Offered to those that they think will put in the extra work. I’ll make sure he does. Anyway, another proud mama moment and more celebrating.

We did the honourable thing and celebrated both successes with cream cakes. Lots of cream cakes. I can’t remember the last time we had cream cakes and I think I’ll be adding them to all our celebrations from now on.

Running

Good job I’ve been running a lot this week. We’ve lengthened our run to make it two miles (about 3k), with a few walking sections for Hero the Hound to sniff and relieve himself. Usually we run two or three times in a week. This week, each day one or other of the children have wanted to come out too. I ended up running for five days on the trot. It’s a milestone for me, if you’ll excuse the pun.

I am tired. I was definitely feeling it today, but so pleased to get them out running with us. We did have an emergency trip to the shops to buy new running shoes for Youngest Teen, when we discovered that he’d grown again and was running in shoes a size too small. He’s overtaken his biggest sister in height this holiday, so I don’t know why I was surprised. He’s running like the wind and whinging less, so I’m calling it a win.

It’s been a good week for celebrating. I must remember that every success and milestone is worth celebrating with cake, and a plant maybe. Even the seemingly small moments. I hereby promise to do my best to celebrate them all with cake. No event shall go past without celebrating.

Joining in with Anne’s word of the week linky. What’s your word?